Mongolian Saturday, Green Mask among Hong Kong Sprint contenders

The quality of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland on Oct. 31 will get a stern test in the Far East on Sunday when the first- and third-place finishers, Mongolian Saturday and Green Mask, start in the $2.38 million Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin Racecourse.

The Hong Kong Sprint, run at six furlongs on turf, will be the first start outside of the United States for Mongolian Saturday, a 5-year-old gelding who won the BC Turf Sprint in a 16-1 upset. Owned by Ganbaatar Degvadorj and trained by Ganbat Enebish, both natives of Mongolia, Mongolian Saturday will be ridden by Florent Geroux, who was aboard for the win in the BC Turf Sprint.

The Hong Kong Sprint will be the second start overseas this year for Green Mask, who is trained by Wesley Ward. In March, Green Mask was third in the Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai behind Sole Power, who is part of the Hong Kong Sprint field.

Green Mask battled a foot bruise earlier this week, according to a statement released by Hong Kong officials, but has been cleared to race.

Aside from Sole Power, the field includes Rich Tapestry, a locally based horse who won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship in October, 2014; and Gold Fun, who won a local prep race in November.

There are four Group 1 races in Hong Kong on Sunday.

The richest race of the program – the $3.22 million Hong Kong Cup at about 1 1/4 miles, is arguably the most open. In a field of 14, Criterion, the winner of two Group 1 races in Australia this year, is a contender in his first start since a third-place finish in the Melbourne Cup on Nov. 3.

The field includes contenders from Europe, Japan, and Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Cup will be the first start for Free Eagle since a sixth-place finish in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris in Oct. 4. Free Eagle won the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot in England in June.

The Japanese-based Nuovo Record, who won the Japanese Oaks in 2014, and Staphanos, second in the autumn Tenno Sho on Nov. 1, have strong credentials.

Designs On Rome from Hong Kong won the 2014 Hong Kong Cup, but was only sixth in a prep race last month.

Mondialiste, second in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland on Oct. 31, is part of a field of 14 in the $2.96 million Hong Kong Mile.

Trained by David O’Meara, Mondialiste won the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile in September. In the Hong Kong Mile, Mondialiste faces a tough group from the Far East.

Able Friend won the 2014 Hong Kong Mile, but was beaten by the 5-year-old gelding Beauty Flame in a prep race on Nov. 21. Beauty Flame is part of this field. Japan’s top chance is Maurice, a winner of five straight races, including consecutive Grade 1 races in Japan.

The longest of the four stakes is the $2.12 million Hong Kong Vase at 1 1/2 miles on turf.

Flintshire, who won the 2014 Vase, will be favored in his first start since a second in the Arc de Triomphe. Owned by Juddmonte Farms and trained by Andre Fabre, Flintshire faces a tough field that includes the seven-time Group 1 winner Cirrus des Aigles; Highland Reel, who won the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park in August; and Cannock Chase, who won the Grade 1 Canadian International at Woodbine on Oct. 18.